Microsoft Advertising Account Suspended and How to Get It Back

A Microsoft Advertising account suspension stops ads running and often arrives with very little explanation. The route back depends on which kind of block has been applied, so the first job in any programme of Bing Ads management for B2B organisations is to identify it before touching campaigns or opening anything new.

Microsoft treats policy suspensions, identity verification failures and billing holds as separate problems with separate fixes. The sections below cover how to read the account status, what each type of suspension means, how to clear verification and payment problems and how to contact support and request a review without making the position worse.

Check the Account Status and Suspension Email First

The account status and the email Microsoft sends are the quickest way to tell which problem you are dealing with. Microsoft’s help page on account errors in Microsoft Advertising explains that the ads in an account with an error are not running. Some of those errors can be fixed by the advertiser, while others need Microsoft Advertising support.

Errors show in the Errors column of the Accounts summary page, which sits under Tools and All accounts. Policy suspensions work differently, because Microsoft emails the advertiser with the reason for the suspension and information on how to appeal, as set out in its guidance on what happens when an ad policy is violated.

Read the whole email before changing anything in the account. It names the policy or the problem behind the block. The fix for one type of block does nothing for another, so matching the email to the right row saves wasted effort.

Work Out Which Type of Suspension Applies

A policy suspension is either the result of repeated strikes or an immediate suspension for a serious breach. Microsoft lists three enforcement types in total, which are disapprovals of individual ads or components, repeated violation strikes and immediate account suspension.

Under the Microsoft Advertising strike policy, an advertiser can receive up to three strikes within a policy category before its use of Microsoft Advertising is suspended. Strikes two and three apply when the same policy category is breached again in any of the advertiser’s accounts within a year of the first violation.

Immediate suspensions skip the strike system entirely. Microsoft’s guidance on egregious violation suspensions says these cover illegal content or activity, threats to user safety or security and anything that degrades the security of its services. Access to the account and all the information in it is suspended without prior warning.

The examples Microsoft gives include inaccurate identity information or documentation, malware or phishing, cloaking, impersonation, unauthorised collection of personal information and circumventing system safeguards. Creating a new advertiser account or Manager Account to get around a suspension is on the same list, which is why opening a fresh account is the wrong response.

Fix Advertiser Identity Verification Problems

A failed or incomplete advertiser identity verification, known as AIV, can stop ads showing even when no policy has been broken. Microsoft’s guide to advertiser identity verification says the request arrives by email and as a notification inside the platform. Most new accounts have 30 days to complete it before ads may stop showing in the countries and regions that require verification.

Verification starts from Account verifications under Settings. Advertisers can verify as a business, as an individual or both. The business name and location on the documents must match the details entered exactly. Every document must also be current, with an expiry date at least two months away, because expiring documents cause a failed verification.

Microsoft says its review may take three to five business days. The identity verification status page lists the possible outcomes, including Action required, Pending, Failed and Verified limited. Verified limited appears when a public email address was used for a business application, which means personal identity documents are needed as well.

Advertisers get three attempts at verification. A failed application can be fixed and resubmitted, or the decision can be appealed through the form linked under the verification status. Microsoft’s page on advertiser identity verification appeals warns that only one appeal is allowed and that no new attempt can be made while it is reviewed, which ideally takes seven to 10 business days.

Some payment methods also need verification before ads can serve in any market. Accounts targeting financial services customers in the UK may need a separate UK Financial services verification as well.

Clear Payment and Billing Holds

A payment hold stops ads running until the balance is paid, but it is a billing status rather than a policy penalty. Microsoft’s help page on fixing a declined payment lists the common reasons a card is declined, including an expired card, a changed billing address, a reached credit limit, a blocked card and a bank that requires strong customer authentication.

After a declined payment Microsoft emails the advertiser and tries the charge again. If the card fails twice, every account using that card is placed on hold. Microsoft then tries three more times, making five attempts in total.

To clear the hold, select Remove the hold in the red notification and choose Fix declined payments. Updating the declined card or adding a new one triggers a charge for the balance due. The hold lifts as soon as that payment is processed.

Other holds have different causes. Microsoft’s article on why an account is on hold also lists excessive chargebacks, overdue payments on monthly invoice accounts and suspicious changes, which bring a temporary hold of up to 30 days. Only Super Admins, or Standard Users with billing permissions, can remove a hold.

Where an agency pays the charges on the advertiser’s behalf, that agency has to clear the hold. Contact them as soon as the banner appears so the campaigns are not left dark for longer than necessary.

Fix the Policy Problem Before You Appeal

An appeal is only worth sending once the cause has been fixed, because Microsoft lifts the penalties when a violation has been redressed. Disapprovals in the account usually point to the policy category behind a strike, so start with the ads, keywords, extensions and landing pages they name.

Landing pages deserve as much attention as ad copy. Microsoft’s list of egregious violations includes obscuring who the advertiser is, deceptive content and unauthorised collection of personal information. All three can show up on a landing page as easily as in an ad. Our guide to PPC landing pages that convert covers how to build clear pages for paid traffic.

A wider review of the account catches problems the email does not name. Our guide to auditing and optimising Microsoft Ads campaigns sets out how to work through an account section by section.

A dated record of what was changed makes the appeal easier to write. It also gives support a clear account of the fix if the case is passed to another team.

Contact Support and Request a Review

Appeals for strikes and immediate suspensions go through Microsoft Advertising Support within six months of the decision. The Microsoft Advertising support page lists the ways to get in touch, including phone lines with hours that vary by location, chat 24 hours a day, seven days a week and a community forum.

A clear request gets a clearer answer. Work through the steps below in order before sending anything.

If there is no response after 10 business days, Microsoft advises contacting support again to check on the appeal. Keep the appeal factual by describing the cause and the fix. Avoid sending repeated requests while the first one is still under review.

The outcome sits with Microsoft alone. No agency or support contact can guarantee reinstatement, so treat any offer that promises it with caution.

What Happens After the Review

If Microsoft accepts that the violation has been redressed, it lifts the penalties that were applied to the account. If the suspension is upheld, the advertiser cannot use Microsoft Advertising until the violation is resolved to Microsoft’s satisfaction.

Deactivation is a separate status that is easy to mistake for a suspension. Microsoft’s page on deactivated and deleted accounts explains that an account with no spend for 15 months is deactivated. Support must be contacted within 30 days to request reactivation, because the account is then deleted and cannot be restored.

Once the account is running again, the checks that cleared the suspension are worth repeating on a regular basis. Priority Pixels runs Microsoft Ads as a specialist channel for B2B and public sector clients who want reach beyond Google. Reviewing policies, payment methods and verification status as part of PPC management for B2B organisations keeps those risks in view before they turn into another suspension.